Concern for occupational health and safety is becoming increasingly important due to the responsibilities placed on both employers and employees under occupational health and safety legislation. For this reason, many organizations have implemented occupational health and safety management systems, quality management systems, and safety management systems (VCA* and VCA**).

A safe and healthy working environment is essential. Knowledge of safety helps reduce injuries, accidents, the risk of emergencies, and work-related disabilities. The Basic VCA certificate is important for demonstrating that an employee possesses the required SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) knowledge. For employees of VCA-certified companies, this certificate is mandatory.

• Mechanical engineers;
• Electrical engineers and process operators;
• Construction professionals;
• Civil engineers;
• Employees working in technical services such as insulation, scaffolding, industrial cleaning, blasting/coating/painting, transport, and inspection;
• Employees in the landscaping and green maintenance sector. They may choose to take the Basic VCA Green examination;
• Non-certified companies also frequently use VCA training courses, or parts of them, to effectively train employees in compliance with occupational health and safety requirements;
• Anyone who has recently completed the Basic VCA training and needs to take the examination.

• The Basic VCA examination lasts one hour and consists of forty multiple-choice questions covering safety topics such as Working at Heights, Personal Protective Equipment, and Hazardous Substances. Each question is worth 100 points. Candidates pass the examination with a minimum score of 2,580 points.
• All examinations are conducted digitally.
• The examination is scheduled in the afternoon or evening and lasts a maximum of one hour.
• In addition to the standard CBT examination, an audio-supported examination is available. The questions are read aloud through headphones. This examination lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Upon successfully passing the examination, the candidate receives the Basic VCA personal certificate and an identification card. The certificate is valid for ten years. Upon issuance, the diploma is registered in the Central Diploma Register (CDR).

The Basic VCA examination is available in the following languages:

Dutch, German, English, French, Polish, Spanish, Hungarian, Turkish, Romanian, Greek, Portuguese, Slovak, Lithuanian, Italian, Arabic, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Russian.